soup. >> grab some of the spices. all the spices. >> steve: we'll continue this in the after the show show. log on right now. >> brian: tomorrow we have geraldo rivera and we'll find out what happened. bill: i think that is the tease. we have to wait it will tomorrow, right? good morning everyone. get ready for gi jane. women are set to hit the front lines of combat. wow, good morning, everybody. i'm bill hemmer. welcome to "america's newsroom." a lot to talk about that today. martha: good morning, everybody. i'm martha maccallum. here's the situation. leon panetta in one of his last acts will make it official today. many say this announcement confirms what is already happening on the ground. bill: jennifer griffin is on the front line of the pentagon every day. what will this change, if anything, for women in the military, jennifer? >> reporter: essentially, bill, this will open 230,000 positions that have previously been that woman

in the military had not had access to. it will open the positions in the army and marines in particular because those are the front line infantry troops. secretary panetta plans to make the announcement later today. he will officially lift the ban that has been in place since 199 on women serving in the front lines. again this will be thousands of positions that women had previously been denied access to. the service chiefs have until january 2016 to seek exceptions to certain units. some of the special operations units for instance. women who have been affected by the ban say they were denied promotions as a result of the discriminatory policy over the years, bill. bill: jennifer, women have for some time have contributed to mightily to the war on terror. they drive tanks. they knife airplanes in the air force. a lot of people don't recognize that. what then has been the reaction from women in the military on this decision?

>> reporter: well, remember, women have been serving in front line positions in the last 10 years. mostly has helicopter pilots, as medics. they have have been serving valiantly. this will change quite a bit and the aclu and several servicemembers, women servicemembers sued to have positions in the infantry, front line positions opened up. they have welcomed this. as have both democrats and republicans on capitol hill yesterday. however one female marine who garnered attention late last year when she expressed concerns about this anticipated move is captain katie petronia we intervurd her. she served in front line positions in afghanistan and pakistan, and wrote get over it. we're not all created equal. >> i found i broke down and muscle atrophy at a much faster rate and noticeable rate than my male marines. i found myself tripping constantly.

my legs buckling, falling during firefights. >> reporter: this is going to be a debate here in the military among the elite units as to whether, whether women will be able to be as physically strong for some of those special operations teams in particular and some of those elite marine units. but secretary panetta and chairman of the joint chiefs martin dempsey will make the announcement later today and the joint chiefs are behind secretary panetta on this. bill: thank you, jennifer griffin, early with us today at the pentagon. martha? martha: pentagon spokesperson releasing this statement on the issue saying, quote, secretary panetta strongly supports these changes. he recognizes over the last decade women have contributed in unprecedented ways to the military's mission. they put their lives on the line to defend their country and demonstrated courage, patriotism and skill. bill: also the reaction we're getting from female veterans has been somewhat mixed actually. women make up 14% of the 1.4

million active servicemembers in the military today. >> you wait for something for so long. i was in the military for nine years. so, you know, one of those hopeful things you get to do everything that everybody else gets to do. >> physically i think it will be really hard. women women aren't built the same way as men and i think there will be a lot of discrimination. >> as long as they're fit for it and as they go through the same training that we go through as infantrymen, i believe if they go through it, then, you know, why not? bill: interesting reaction there some argue lifting the ban will make it possible for women to make the military a lasting career for themselves. martha: more about that in a little while with jack keane and kt mcfarland. for now there are new threats against the u.s. homeland from nuclear-armed north korea. the rogue regime rolling out plans to conduct some more military tests with a warhead they claim is capable of reaching the united states.

steve centanni is live on this for us in washington this morning. so what are they saying about this exactly, steve? >> reporter: well, martha, the north koreans are promising there will be a another test in defiance of the latest united nations resolution and it will be a nuclear test of a higher level according to the korean government. the north last month successfully launched a satellite that put it into orbit. it was a test of technology that could one day deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting targets as far as away as the u.s. north korea's top governing the body, the national defense commission, warned today of another test coming of a higher level they say. and their declaration in part says a new phase of the anti-u.s. struggle that has lasted century after century will target against the u.s., the sworn enemy of the core reason people. setting the u.s. requires force not words as jungle law as the rule of its

survival. reference to higher level nuclear test most likely refers to a device made from highly-enriched uranium which is easier to miniaturize and mount as a warhead, martha. martha: very strong words, steve. so what is the u.s. reaction to all this? >> reporter: so far no reaction from the state department or the u.s.. the u.s. envoy was in seoul and held a news conference and he told reporters this. quote, whether north korea tests or not it is up to north korea. we hope they don't do it. we call on them not to do it. it will be a mistake and a missed opportunity if they do it. that is glen davies. he was in japan and china to discuss a way forward on north korean relations. martha: thank you, steve. >> reporter: you bet. bill: there is a sign that the american workforce is changing. union membership has dropped by 400,000 americans last year. that is the lowest levels we've seen in almost a century. stuart varney, anchor of

"varney & company", fox business network. good morning to you, stuart. what is behind this number? >> i will give four factors. number one, sharp cuts in government employment. government employees are generally unionized. those union jobs are gone. number two, they are pricing themselves out. union members are pricing themselves out of government work at the state level. states are insolvent in some cases. they can't afford to rehire union members into their workforce. number three, collective bargaining restrictions especially in wisconsin and indiana. in those two states the government worker union membership has dropped 13% and 18% respectively. number four, the government employees, the unions work rules are pushing employers away. rigid work rules are not efficient. employers tend to go to right to work states or take the jobs overseas. the unions are in trouble. bill: i'm looking at raw

number here. 11.8%, 11.3%. that accounts for 400,000 jobs. >> yeah. bill: that is only half a percentage point but it is significant in the following way thaw point out. wisconsin, indiana, michigan. you saw a push in ohio as well. is the drop a trend or is it just a -- >> no, it is a trend and has political implications. right now unions have a considerable amount of political power with ever-declining membership that means ever-declining dues revenue which is the basis of their political power. so they're in a vicious circle going down. bill: interesting. 25% in new york. >> yep. bill: union workers overall. north carolina has the lowest state i think by about 3%. >> that's right. bill: stuart, changing face of american labor. thank you. >> thank you. bill: we'll see you at nine defend on fbn. martha. martha: back to see see now. we're learning about a few key white house announcements today. this afternoon president obama will nominate as

expected u.s. attorney mary. lori: white to lead the securities & exchange commission. he will renominate richard cordray, you remember the controversy over this, to head the consumer financial projection bureau. that was controversial the last time around of the he put them in that post last year. he is up for official confirmation the senate republicans opposed him and oppose the whole concept of this consumer bureau thinking it is not really necessary. bill: john kerry, nominated next hour. martha: yep. bill: interesting how he was actually on the schedule for the committee hearing at hillary clinton before hillary clinton sat down. martha: you can't chair a hearing and be in front of the table next day. bill: funny the way washington works. we're just getting moving here. notre dame's manti te'o is talking. why he says he continued to talk about a dead fake girlfriend after he knew she was a fake in the first place. martha: such a bizarre

story. a deadly deep freeze. huge parts of the country are now experiencing temperatures so cold that a ski resort has now shut down. bill: and hopes for bipartisanship, is that already over? i mean it has been three days. why a top republican leader says president obama wants to annihilate the republican party. >> let me just tell you. i do believe that is their goal, to just shove us into the dustbin of it had. -- history hey, our salads.

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martha: brand new numbers on the jobs situation in this country just coming out from the labor department this morning. the number of americans seeking unemployment benefits falling by 5000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 330,000. that is the lowest level in five years. so that could be some evidence that employers are cutting fewer jobs and are ramping up hiring a little bit but in recent months hiring has been modest at best. in the last quarter of 2012

employers brought average of 151,000 people in per month. economists say that is just enough really to keep up with population growth and the percentage of working age americans in the labor force has been under 64% for one year. that is the longest stretch that we have seen in that very important number since 1981. so shrinking labor force for a variety of reasons. bill: 15 minutes. we'll see how wall street respond to that. watch apple today. whoa. tell you about that in a moment. just days into president obama's second term speaker of the house john boehner says he beliefs the president wants to destroy the republican party making it easier for the white house to push through the agenda of democrats. have a listen here. >> so we're expecting mere over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt too annihilate the republican party. and let me just tell you, i

do believe that is their goal, to just shove us into the dustbin of history. bill: that's not, not just some guy talking. that is the speaker of the house. monica crowley, radio talk show host, fox news contributor. good morning, monica. emily sussman, president of young democrats for america. how are you doing today. >> very well. thank you. bill: let's go at it. what do you make of the speaker's comments of nile ages? >> just dawning on john boehner and republican leadership this is the president's goal no wonder the republicans had a tough time of it recently. of course this is the president's goal. it has been his goal since day one. there is nothing in the president's history or background or pattern of behavior to suggest compromise, conciliation with republicans a real desire to work across the aisle and be bipartisan. sometimes he give us a good line about that but not in his behavior. he has demonstrated the exact opposite. it is wise for the

republicans at least now at this late date to understand that is what the president intends to do. not just enough for him, bill, to defeat the republicans politically or even based on policy which you would expect from any president. for president obama it is about pounding the republican party into oblivion. bill: let me talk about how republicans react to this in a moment, monica. emily, get on record, what do you think about the dustbin of history from speaker boehner? >> i think it is disappointing john boehner would go to the extreme talking points. he has not always been an extreme guy. he has been in the house for a long time. look to president obama, look actually at his record. when we moved into the sequester fight in early december, the first thing out of president obama's mouth he would look at any good idea regardless who it came from. he has consistent history of trying to work across the aisle. bill: does he now? bipartisan? >> the ideas that he a lick tated in the inauguration speech, those are american values. these are not traditionally democratic values. republicans used to be able

to talk about these issues. it is really the republican party that has left the center, that has left america. bill: you can't see her but monica is smiling at you, emily. i will come back to you in a moment here. but overall, the theme you're picking up on now is that if you can delay the big, big, decisions facing america and government, monica, you can put all your cards on the table for a midterm election, if you take control of the house you have two years of an open playing field. do yo think that is the strategy? >> absolutely. it is all about 2014. remember the president had the run of the field in his first two years before the house flipped to republican control. he misses that. and what he wants for his legacy is, as he said in 2008, the fundamental transformation of the nation. by that he means turning america into a european-style socialist state or social democracy. he had the run of the field for the first two years. he wants his last two years as president to be exactly that. so everything he is doing is geared toward flipping the house of representatives

back to democratic control. and if you're the republican party, not just the national party but right on down to the state and local levels, bill, here's what you do. you focus on the house. you focus on individual districts. you focus on how you can retain control of the house and pick up seats. bill: focus on the majority, right? >> focus on recruiting strong candidates and keeping the ones you have. bill: you can't see it but emily is smiling at you. emily, do you disagree with that strategy or you think there is something to it? >> i don't think we've seen any indication president obama plans on not governing for the first two years of the administration. i think the ideas we saw come out, talk about gun violence prevention, comprehensive immigration reform, climate control, these are things that the american people want. we've been talking about for the last --. bill: but you don't even know if that can pass through even the democratic senate. >> right. >> no, sure but these are the issues we need to be talking about and we ned everyone at the table. these ideas have traditionally come, we found compromises from both parties and we do need to be

able to come back to those again. it is unfortunate the last congress speaker boehner had his hands tied by very extreme parties of his party. i had real hopes that speaker boehner would be able to come back to the table and i actually still think he would be able to. bill: three days in, here we are, we are 72 hours warm. got to run, monica, quick last word. >> i could see why the left think ideas of limited government, fiscal responsibility and economic freedom are extreme but pure projection on the part of emily. the left is controlling the democratic party. they are so extreme they won't even cut spending in any way, shape or form. bill: you both are game for a great debate. emily, thank you. monica, see you in the hall. >> pleasure, bill. bill: 19 past. martha. martha: this is story everybody is talking about this week. there is new word from pro golfer phil mickelson after he said high taxes might chase him out of his home state of california. why one of the world's highest paid athletes is now why he is saying he is sorry? bill: man, have you been outside?

it is epic cold. this is gripping most of the country. windchill readings falling to 30 below. if you live there, you know how cold it is. that is chick -- chicago screen left. how can avoid being outside. martha: good idea. >> keep moving. layers. i have on like three layers. if i need to i take something off, put something on as need be. i used to say the summer was worse but now i want to say the winter. at a dry cleaner, we replaced people with a machine. what? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it? hello? hello?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello?

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bill: mitt romney heads to washington, d.c.. two of his former aides saying the former republican presidential nominee and his wife ann will be in the nation's capitol, make that friday, for a luncheon in their honor. friday is the luncheon.

the former massachusetts governor sought to avoid the public spotlight since losing the election in november. spent inauguration day quietly with his family at their home in california. martha: much of the country is in the grip of arctic freezing, freezing cold weather right now. in the northeast temperatures hovering near zero and across the midwest windchill readings falling to 30 degrees below. guess where we find our friend mike tobin? he is in chicago are but it feels like 7 below right now. we're hearing about a warehouse fire there. turns out that was quite a sight, mike. >> reporter: it made quite a sight. the bad news that warehouse fire backed up this morning, 50 firefighters had to get out in bitter cold to spray water back on top of this structure which has become an "ice castle". they need so much water, the firefighters are bringing out a special deluge unit to the warehouse fire to give them ability to dump water

on it. that creates a problem. that is old warehouse. the highs gets really heavy. the structure is in danger of collapse. when you get the giant fiv five-alarm fires, an old firefighter buddy called that a surround and drown. you don't have the guys inside of the structure because it at risk of collapse. the windchill brings temperatures down to 25 below. it is drawing tremendous resources. the way one of the firefighters put it i hope there is not another fire because you have so much in the way of resources invested in putting this out, the biggest in recent years in chicago. martha: raises questions is what it is still doing there. mike, tell me about the rest of the country. pretty cold in the new york area. what else is going on elsewhere. >> reporter: it is so cold, how cold is it? so cold they had to shut down a ski resort in new hampshire. 30 below in northern parts of main. 30 below in parts of minnesota.

several deaths have been reported because of this bitter cold that has been moved in. as a kid growing up out here close to the great lakes you used to watch for the lake-effect snow because that meant you would get a day off school. well the lake effect is doing its thing right now. that could mean the long streak of no snow here in chicago to be ending soon, martha. martha: no snow really here in new york either. we're waiting for it here as well. mike, we'll see. thank you. stay warm, inside live shot is over. bill: i'm kind of cool with the cold weather. >> my theory, it helps get rid of the flu buggings because we had so much 50 degree warm weather and the flu is festering around all over the country and i think it will snap it. bill: hey, man, it is january. martha: what do you expect? bill: bundle up. it is the question martha has been asking for a week now. why man tie? why? martha: that's true. bill: the noteter dame star with the fake girlfriend sits down with katie couric. why he says he kept talking

about the girl even though he knew --. martha: truth is always "stranger than fiction". plenty of reaction to secretary of state hillary clinton on the hot seat yesterday over benghazi and her asking quote, what difference does this make whether it grew out of some protest? that has a lot of people fired up today. a key senator on why he says, yes, actually it is does make a difference. ring. progresso. your soups are so awesomely delicious my husband and i can't stop eating 'em! what's...that... on your head? can curlers! tomato basil, potato with bacon... we've got a lot of empty cans. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup.

martha: new questions today about whether secretary

clinton's testimony help to glean any real information about the questions that we have about benghazi and the terror attack that happened there september the 11th. one of the feistier exchanges occurred after a republican senator ask why it took the obama administration so long to determine the assault was actually not the result of any spontaneous protest. here is secretary clinton's response to that. >> with all due respect, the fact is we had four dead americans. >> i understand. >> whether it was because after protest or because of guys out for a walk one night decided they would go kill some americans, what difference at this point does it make? it is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, senator. martha: that was the most heated moment of the proceedings yesterday. joined by wyoming republican senator john barrasso, who was there who also questioned senator clinton. secretary of state clinton yesterday. he is on the senate foreign relations committee. welcome, good to have you

here. >> thank you, martha. martha: why you surprised by that reaction? >> i was because it really does make a difference. it makes a difference to the american people. i would imagine it makes a big difference to the press and overseas to the terrorists who did this, because if we don't think it makes a difference that emboldens the terrorists. what we now have is, we have no justice right now the president promised justice. secretary promised justice. we're four months out and justice has not been done, either overseas to the terrorists who did this attacking, who i believe are now even more emboldened as a result of nobody having to pay a price and there hasn't been justice here at home at the state department, in terms of those who were supervising, leading up to these terrorists attacks. martha: that was one of the things i thought was frustrating. that we didn't hear more about really. you know, she was came -- claiming there that the most important thing was the loss of life of these tour americans. everybody understands what she was getting at. a lot of people feel it is

very important why that happened but what about who carried out these acts of violence? is she satisfied with the investigation? is she satisfied with the fact that nobody has been held accountable for this heinous act against americans? >> well, i'm not satisfied. members of the senate are not satisfied and the american people are not satisfied that justice has still not been done and instead, we see, i believe, when we look at what's happened in africa, in the last week, with the hostage situations and the deaths and now the report that there is a possibility of one of those who was involved in the murders in benghazi is now also one of those involved in this most recent attack. they are just more emboldened and in spite of the administration leading up to the election saying that al qaeda has been decimated, i believe that's not the case and even secretary clinton yesterday said that al qaeda affiliated groups in africa are actually growing and on the rise. martha: i thought that was one of the most significant

takeaways yesterday. she said benghazi did not happen in a vacuum. which is the acknowledgement of a greater growing problem in africa that the administration really did not acknowledge at all during the time period when all of this happened. but i want to ask you one more thing. not to belabor this whole sunday show thing because we talked about quite a bit but i thought it was interesting we really didn't get a good question and answer. she said, i don't really like to do the sunday shows. i haven't done them in a long time. why not, tom done -- donilon? why not brennan. why not petraeus? why not clapper? why not susan rice? we didn't the answer to that question, senator. >> i tell you why it was susan rice. the administration, the campaign, want admit call operative to answer questions on sunday shows and put out a political message, not to put out the true story what had happened in benghazi in the run-up to an election and i think that is exactly the reason susan

rice was put in that position to give the political message that the administration wanted to say that there was excellent security, that al qaeda had been decimated and usama bin laden was dead. and i think that is exactly the reason. martha: the most emotional moment yesterday, and understandably so, was when secretary clinton said, talked about the receiving those four bodies when they came back, and you know, hugging the family members. i thought, i wonder how the family members feel about the investigation right now? what information has the fbi found on who did this, who these terrorists were specifically? when are we, when can we expect an update how this investigation is going? or is it dead in the water? is nothing actually happening? >> well, we're going to continue to work and i'm going to ask questions of secretary designee kerries because he will continue on with the work there. people still want justice. the president promised justice. when i asked the secretary yesterday was there justice,

she said the president has promised and you can trust him to deliver. well, i'm not of the same mind set. i don't trust we'll find the full delivery of justice that the american people want from this president. martha: as john mccain pointed out, two of those four americans died in the final hour of a seven-hour siege. there are really still a lot of questions about why not more was done and who did this. senator barrasso, thank you so much. always good to have you on the show. >> thanks, martha. bill: you wonder now if those answers will ever come public at any point. phil mickelson is one of the greatest golfers in the world, taking questions on his taxes and that old fair share of his. mickelson explaining why he backed off on gripes that more than 60% of the his income goes to the government. >> my apology is, for talking about it publicly because i shouldn't take advantage of the forum that i have as a professional golfer to try to ignite

change over these issues. i love this state. i grew up here. i love it here. and i'm certainly concerned for it. i never had a problem paying my fair share because, i know that there are very few countries in the world that let you do what you do and, live in this environment. bill: there he is. speaking like an american, huh? like that. mickelson's net worth is $180 million. the guy ain't hurting but tiger woods says mickelson was right about taxes especially in california and says high taxes was why woods moved out of the california and moved to florida with no state income tax in the first place. both of these guys are from california. mickelson made his hometown there for, he was born and raised in san diego. for him to leave the state is a big, big deal. if you're taking home 37 cents on the dollar, 47 cents on the dollar, i think it is okay to speak up. martha: it is something for all americans to give some thought to. bill: why did he apologize? martha: i don't know why he apologized, the backlash

against it, saying is it right for any american to spend 63 cents of their dollar, of every dollar they make and hand it over to the government? bill: state, county, federal. martha: so much discussion about fair share and people, people obviously, some people are outraged. he can afford it. that is not the issue. the issue is, at what point is enough, enough of any single human being's income whether they're successful or not. i mean, --. bill: that guy moved to florida he could save 13% of gross today. there is phil. watch him over the weekend. they have a big tournament out there in california. martha: i'm still thinking about that last story. bill: onward. martha: onward we go. a revealing new study on kicking the habit. listen up folks who are still smoking out there. why quitting at a certain time in your life could make all the difference. bill: i love that story. also a new survey showing many americans think the best days of our country are behind us in numbers we have not seen since the jimmy carter days? why many are

still asking themselves this question. >> are you better off than you were four years ago? is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? to the best vacation spot on earth. (all) the gulf! it doesn't matter which of our great states folks visit. mississippi, alabam louisiana or florida, they're gonna love it. shaul, your alabama hospitality is incredible. thanks, karen. love your mississippi outdoors. i vote for your florida beaches, dawn. bill, this louisiana seafood is delicious. we're having such a great year on the gulf, we've decided to put aside our rivalry. now is the perfect time to visit anyone of our states. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride, go fishing or just lay in the sun. we've got coastline to explore and wildlife to photograph.

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martha: well the year's young but this is probably going to be one of the most bizarre stories of 2013. notre dame's manti te'o speaking out about the scandal involving his dead frak girlfriend. he did an interview that will air later today. in it he tells katie couric why he kept up the lie even after he realized, he claims, that his dead girlfriend never existed? >> you stuck to the script and you knew that something was amiss, manti. >> correct. >> why? >> well, anybody who puts

yourself in my situation, katie, put yourself in my situation. my whole world told me, as she that she died on september 12th. everybody knew that. this girl who i committed myself to died on september 12th. now i get a phone call on december 6th saying that she is alive and i will be put on national tv two days later and ask me what the same question? what would you do? >> he may have had nine or 10 --. martha: manti maintains he was not part of the hoax. still can't get over the fact you can call someone your girlfriend you never met, after all those years? bill: and said that you did. i will watch the interview today. the problem i have, every time he talks i believe him less and less. maybe he will change some mind today with this interview. martha: maybe. we'll see. bill: a lot of domers are standing behind him.

as days go by their support, it wanes. new terms tend to bring new hope but president obama may find the american public more bummed out now that at any time since the late 1970s and jimmy carter. gallup finds four in 10 americans rate the current climate of the country as positive. the lowest recorded by gallup since jimmy carter's term in 1979. what is going on? stephen hayes, senior writer, "weekly standard." fox news contributor. good morning, steve. >> good morning, bill. bill: what is going on? why can't we shake this? >> it is pretty interesting even after the election when obviously a majority of the country voted for the president of the united states people are not optimistic where the country is headed in five years that number of people who are optimistic where the country will be five years hence also a record low. you're talking about a populous that is deeply pessimistic about the state of the country now and where the country is going. bill: it is striking too but i don't know if this is much of a surprise so i will get

your reaction when i ask you to see how each party looks at the future for america. 15% of the republicans were somewhat optimistic but 3/4 of democrats were. what explains that? your guy's in power? >> i find this the most fascinating finding of this particular poll but i think it speaks to the polarization in the country. when i travel and about give speeches and talk to republican groups or chambers about of congress out in the midwest, what have you, there is a deep sense the country is just up having away. that we are facing an imminent debt crisis. that we're not secure overseas. and that the country really, that many people have grown up with is now on the verge of being lost. on the other side, you have democrats who see in president obama the great hope. and a hope for a sort of more liberal, progressive future they have long imagined but have not yet seen realized. and it is as if these two halves of the country don't even understand each other.

bill: that's interesting. because when i look at the stock market right now, that is like the one positive sign you see. i mean look at the dow right now, up 43 points already. it is on a march to 14,000. if you have a stake in that right now you're doing all right. but if you compare the number that we're talking about today, there's the big board, to the number from 2010, we are stuck on stuck, steve. >> right. i think the question is, the question goes to how quickly do you think we're going to be in trouble, particularly with this question of debt and deficit. you have, this "new york times" news analysis from tuesday, the day after the president's speech said that the president, in effect, painted this picture of a new liberal america, was going to use the power of his office to usher in progressive values because he didn't see a america with an impending crisis. i think you have got half the country not only sees this debt and deficit crisis upon us, but thinks that we may not even be able to recover from that.

i think that speaks to the kind of deep pessimism you see from so many republicans and conservatives and a good number of independents as well. bill: the one word that described the carter years was may lays. is that appropriate for now? >> well i mean, certainly for half of the population at the very least, malaise may not might even capture it. i think there is a sense of despond dansy of people on the center right and optimism, hope and triumph among those on the left. bill: despondent, that is not good of the maybe it is appropriate that we're talking about "argo" now in 2013. a film made by ben affleck that may do well at the oscars that reflects on the time when america was held hostage, not just in tehran but metaphorically here at home. >> yeah, i mean it's interesting. there are some serious parallels. if you look at the united states as the ability to be force for good overseas you see president obama make a

conscious decision the united states will take a smaller role particularly in the middle east and north africa and elsewhere. will not do much projecting our values. that is one of the things we saw in the later stages of the carter administration. one of the things that turnaround when ronald reagan was elected and inaugurated. bill: that is a fascinating point. when you see the hot spots popping up around the world, whether this administration is willing to engage there and continue to pull in domestically. >> right. bill: it will be fascinating to watch, steve. if we choose the latter, what happens then? you heard what hillary clinton said yesterday, when the america is engaged the world is a better place. that is essentially her message at one point. stephen hayes, thanks to you in washington. what do you think. hem ear@foxnews.com. and on twitter, follow me @billhemmer. bya. we have one of those in 40 minutes for a lawmaker on debt and deficit spending that we're mixing up at 16.4 trillion.

all yours. martha: hopeful. it is about the economy that is bad here in the united states. we'll tell you where unemployment just hit 26%. you don't wan to be there, folks. plus kapernicking? that is what he is doing, the 49ers quarterback. that little craze right now sweeping the nation. why it is now a legal term? bill: hot dog. dit card rewards are easy to remember with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. [ both ] 2% back on groceries. [ all ] 3% on gas. no hoops to jump through. i earn more cash back on the things i buy the most. [ woman ] it's as easy as... one! -two. -[ all ] three! [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. apply online or at a bank of america near you.

martha: kapernicking. bill: first tebowing. now capper nicking. super bowl bound quarterback out of san francisco, colin cab per nick. the guy is a stud -- kapernick. he lifts the arm and kisses the old bicep. he wants to trademark that move. one website selling the official kapernicking

t-shirt. his adoptive parents lost two children to heart problems. the guy has a big heart. and has a big gun too. martha: i was going to say he has big biceps too. bill: niners, ravens, super bowl iv 7. who are you taking? martha: 49ers. bill: because i'm taking the niners too. martha: we'll talk about that later. meantime we'll think about the super bowl and focus on the shocking new unemployment numbers out of spain. more than one quarter of the labor force, out of work. that is a whopping number. 26%, okay? more than one in four out of a job. almost six million people. 55% of young people unemployed. that is on the rise. greg palkot is live in london. we've heard so much about the troubled economies in europe and some people concerned that we may head there, if we don't make some changes. so what's the lesson to be

learned? what can you tell us, greg. >> reporter: martha, here we go again. the unemployment figure is the highest since record-keeping has begun in spain. a new year for the troubled eurozone and maybe new worries for washington and wall street watching what happens in europe. let's go deeper into those numbers in spain. that unemployment figure is up a full percentage point from the quarter before. perhaps more shockingings martha, a depression-level 55% unemployment among young people. that is age 18 to 24. this follows another quarter we learned today of recession in spain the government is putting in austerity cuts, tax hikes, labor reforms. they're trying to avert default and bankruptcy but it is adding to the pain. one good sign, martha. this week they were able to sell off some of their bonds to get rid of some of their debt. that however, with the european central bank offering, a big help, maybe big encouragement from washington as well. martha.

martha: they have a long way to go to dig out of that hole. greece also continues to be in a really tough situation, greg. >> reporter: yeah. greece is the country, remember, that started all of these euro headaches and there's more problems here in january. mass transit strike now in its 8th day. subways, buses, snarling traffic in athens and elsewhere. the workers are protesting salary cuts which have been put in place by the government, again part of austerity moves there. the government today stepping in, branding the strikes illegal and threatening to throw those workers into jail. that is causing more problems with the unions. greece, too, martha, is showing some gains. they're reducing their deficit but again, with more problems. as well, a desperate economic situation in greece. it's got people organizing, bartering systems because they have no more cash. and it is driving extremists to more violence. just in the past week, a shopping mall in athens hit by a many toing.

another year, martha. martha: rough stuff. greg, thank you. bill: changing of the guard only moments away from a senate confirmation hearing for senator john kerry, the man expected to be our next secretary of state. we're live in washington. guess who will be in the room for that? we'll tell you. martha: the pentagon is about to make a major change opening up combat jobs to women. is this good policy? we're going to ask a woman who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense. we'll be right back. ♪ if loving you is wrong ♪ i don't wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it's not bad for you. it just tastes that way. [ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal -- heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can't go wrong loving it.

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martha: breaking news right now. we go back to capitol hill one day after a contentious hearing with secretary of state hillary clinton over the issue of benghazi. you have the senate foreign relations committee back at work this morning. they are set to grill her perspective successor, seven

john kerry in thasenator john kerry. i'm martha maccallum. bill: good morning. john mccain joked he's looking forward to interrogating kerry. senator kerry served on the committee for just about 30 years. martha: a new senator from massachusetts, they are all gathering there. we go to our chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel joining us live from capitol hill. what can we eastbound expect in there. >> reporter: the overwhelming majority say they expect the reception to be friendly. john kerry is well-known to this committee, to the united states senate. a longtime member of the senate club. he will be introduced by secretary of state hillary clinton. senator john mccain will also play a role.

interesting because mccain has a very similar resume to john kerry but a very different political philosophy. last night with greta van sus traivan susteren he talked about serrie as secretary of indicate. >> reporter: john and i don't agree on a lot of issues but we have a relationship which was forged years ago, and so i have confidence that he will carry out the president's agenda and serve the president. >> reporter: mccain said he would not have selected john kerry to be secretary of state because they obviously have a very different philosophy. he does expect that kerry will be effective in carrying out obama's philosophy. martha: when they make these nominees they know they have some that will be easy, some are more heavy lifting.

where does this one fall. >> reporter: john kerry is the least controversial of the ones coming up right now. 50% of independents would and most of the democrats would. if you were senator would you vote to confirm john kerry as secretary of state. 54% yes, 32% no. he is a zoned guy. they think he will handle the questioning reasonably well. we'll watch and see if there are any fireworks. bill: he went to his first senate hearing in his 20s. bret baier with me now. what are you listening form in terms of policy? would you expect anything to shift or change under john kerry as secretary of state as opposed

to hillary clinton? >> reporter: i think that is the question of the day. that is what the senators are really going to get at, bill, is where is the policy heading for this obama administration, with home different hot spots around the world now that this administration will likely have to deal with one way or another. it is going to be a challenge. and this isn't going to be, i don't think, a real tough hearing. senator kerry likely has a lot of support on this committee, even from opponents on the other side of the aisle. i think mike got it right, that of the nominations this is probably the easiest nomination and we probably won't hear a lot about his time in vietnam, and the medals that he threw back, and we won't hear a lot of the controversies that we heard of as a democratic nominee in

2004. what we will likely hear is policy perscriptions going forward for the obama administration. how do you handle an exploding al-qaida situation in north africa. how do you handle syria when the president has said many times bashar al-assad should step down and he's not stepping down and the civil war is getting worse. how do you deal with iran that is thumbing its nose and stepping up it's ambitions. this is what the senators, at lowe's on the republican side are going to be pressing on. bill: hillary clinton red a statement verbatim on the senate side and later in the house in the afternoon, what she was saying is when american is engaged in these hot spots it's better for us as a country, it's better for the world. it seemed to me that that was a veiled message to the white house and this president to stay engaged and don't allow these boiling points to fester more

than they have already. did you hear it the same way? eufrpblgts are. >> reporter: yeah i did, bill, i think that is a great point. the signal of sending both john kerry and chuck hailing, actually, some people suggest that that is a signal that the white house is saying this may be a little bit different than bob gates, leon panetta and secretary clinton as far as engagement, and that is a question that a lot of folks have as you watch senator kerry walking into a room that he has walked into many times over the last 35 years. he's been a member of this committee. and you can see him slapping people on the back, you know, i mean this is like old home week there, because he knows everybody. he knows the staff, he knows everybody. and secretary clinton is going to do the introduction. bill: and when she does i find it somewhat ironic. you live in that town so you can explain this. how this committee can have on the schedule the confirmation hearing for john kerry before

the hearing for hillary clinton even began, because many republicans were saying, you know, bob corker was one of them repeatedly for weeks, we are not going to move on kerry's nomination until we get our answers from benghazi and hillary clinton, and yet there it was on his website just this past week. >> reporter: just remember that we had awful th all of the scheduling questions after the fall and concussion and was she going to testify after she left office, and after, you know, kerry was in office, and there was all that become and forth. finally they settled on right after the inauguration and before senator kerry's confirmation hearing. this was the compromise i think, and it is a little awkward, the fact that secretary clinton is back in the same room where she had that both emotional statement about well coming the body home from benghazi, and then the fiery exchange with

senator johnson about what is the big deal now, let's get to the bottom of this that got so much coverage after that two and a half hour hearing yesterday. bill: i think folks on the outside who don't live there, they are stunned sometimes by the way it works, and here we are back in the same room. now, with regard to hillary clinton, what is the sense you're getting there in washington as to whether or not benghazi is buried, and the answers at least some of the republicans were looking nor yesterday will never get answered? >> reporter: there is a sense of frustration. there is a sense inside the beltway and frankly outside the beltway if you look at emails and twitter accounts of the questions that were asked that just didn't -- didn't rise to the level. and chairman royce from the foreign affairs committee yesterday in the house said if they don't get the answers written, submitted to secretary clinton that they are looking

for they are going to subpoena her, which was actually news. whether that is a good idea or a bad idea for the republicans is really a question, because it seems like politically this is a tough spot for republicans, they are still looking nor answers for answers on a number of key issues. bill: a revealing interview you had with congressman royce last evening. martha: when i remembered back president obama was picking secretary of state the first time around he was interested in the job. he was interested in the presidency as well nine years ago. this has to be a big day for him. he's been a senator for a longtime. this is a pretty big promotion. >> reporter: sure, and, you know, president obama said when he nominated senator kerry, and i think very accurately that senator kerry was essentially bread for this condition. his nats was a foreign service officer. he longed for this job for a longtime, and he didn't really make it secret that he really

wanted to be secretary of state. and you see his wife next to him, theresa hines kerry. they have also signaled that this is a want, and he wanted to be chairman of the senate foreign relations committee because of his cant to b want to be involved in foreign affairs. this fits his personality, it's what he wants and it's expected that as long as he doesn't trip over himself in this hearing, and it's not expected that he will, that he will get an overwhelming amount of support from both republicans and democrats in this vote. martha: it will be interesting to see as you and bill were discussing a moment ago how much the senators use this as an opportunity to kind of flesh out john kerry's real feelings about the role of america in the world. we are in obviously troubled waters overseas when you look at what is going on in north africa. john kerry as you know after serving in the vietnam war was

very much against u.s. sort of reaching out and sticking their nose and their military mite in maysess where it doesn't workout so well. i wonder how much we will learn about his current thinking on all of that. >> reporter: it's a different time, martha as you know than when secretary clinton came in. with iran when secretary clinton went in the question was how to turn up the heat on iran, how to step up the pressure on iran. would these items that they were going to do really turn up the heat? it wasn't really, was it working, is it getting done, are we going to give that to the next stop, is military action going to be what is going to happen? we are getting closer and closer to that point as benjamin netanyahu said at the united nations, the israeli prime

minister. it's a different situation as secretary of state as hillary clinton gets ready to introduce john kerry, and really across the world if you look at all of these spots, pakistan, for example and its nuclear capabilities and what is happening there, it's a much more dangerous world now than four years ago. martha: we spoke a little while ago to senator john barrasso who sits on this committee and asked him whether or not he would be pressed john kerry in terms of what he would do in benghazi in the session. we are nowhere as far as the american people know in figuring out who killed these four americans and what potential links they might have to the terrorists that carried out that act. it might even be the same people in algeria, do you expect we'll hear some about that today. >> reporter: you may, you may hear some on benghazi, especially because there is so much frustration from yesterday. you heard it from senator john mccain, they just didn't feel they got the answers that they were looking for. you may hear some questions about that.

would he do it differently. , would he have done the investigation differently. i don't think you'll hear answers that are different. i think you'll hear answers from go back to the arb, the report that secretary clinton, the review board report that she pointed back to, and, frankly, you know, that is a real question. is this administration hunting down these people? and if it is tied to algeria, if the same people behind benghazi are somehow the same people involved in algeria, if the weapons in libya, which they are now saying is in algeria and throughout northern africa, you're dealing with something that is exploding throughout that region that is going to become a problem probably for years to come. martha: we're waiting for john kerry to do his opening statement. its just interesting in terms of history. if we do end up with a former vietnam veteran both in the post

of secretary of state and secretary of defense, bret, that would be an interesting moment for this country, and i wonder what it would mean. >> reporter: i think for veterans it's also a moment, a proud moment to have people who served in those high positions, some perspective, perhaps, from people who have served especially in a mays lik place like vietnam. chuck hagel and john kerry if they get through, i think chuck hailing's nomination is going to be a lot bumper than john kerry's. martha: do you think that is the strategy to go through some of the more easier, and deal with the others down the road. >> reporter: yeah, and john brennan for cia is going to be a lot about benghazi, a lot about the drone program, and a lot of questions that we likely are going to be very interested in hearing in that hearing.

martha: absolutely. bret, thank you very much. >> reporter: you got it. martha: see you tonight. bill: i can't remember the last time we saw theresa hines kerry. it's been a longtime. martha: yes it has. bill: you reached out to a number of senators. what did they tell but this hearing and what we can expect? >> reporter: they seem to think that essentially john kerry shares the president's philosophy, and so it's the privilege of the president to get a cabinet team around him essentially that will carry out his wishes, and so they felt like he has plenty of experience, he's obviously one of the veterans on capitol hill, someone who has been here a very longtime. they didn't see anything in his background that necessarily would be a red flag. obviously you ask the questions, you want to know what he sees going forward in terms of leading the state department, but they did not anticipate him tripping over anything today, but obviously we will watch and

see. there could be some tough questions about what do you do about al-qaida? what do you do about problems in northern africa and that sort of thing? what do we do about iran in the middle east. so there are obviously a lot of tough spots in the world. we'll see how he handles the questions stphaofplt that w. bill: that we shall. i didn't mean to interrupt you, go ahead i'm sorry. >> reporter: some of the members that had tougher questions for hillary clinton about benghazi seemed to suggest, they thought that john kerry would get through. they would ask their questions but they did not anticipate fireworks today. bill: so, hillary clinton will introduce him. do you have any idea what she will say in her introduction, mike? >> reporter: well, essentially she is going to talk up his resume, talk about his background, talk about how he's a very experienced person, has served the coun country, also in the united states military, essentially talking about his resume and have he's qualified to follow in her footsteps as secretary of state, so expect

that it will be a very warm and generous introduction of senator kerry. we are also told that senator mccain would play a role in the introduction of senator kerry as well, and i mentioned earlier that they have similar res resumes, both presidential nominees for their respective parties but both very different philosophies. mccain thought john kerry would be a very effect t*eu secretary of state because he could carry out president obama's foreign policy position. he sailed he wouldn't pick him as secretary of state because they have a very different philosophy, bill. bill: we'll see if she mentions some of the more fiery hot spots on the globe today, she's been traveling a million miles, isn't that what she said yesterday. >> reporter: we heard a lot about her traveling more than a million miles as secretary of

state. those of who who like hillary clinton were applauding her for her service and her going all over the world and others wanted to ask tough questions about benghazi. martha: i see elizabeth war warren at the table there. is she playing a roam? we are seeing new faces in the senate. >> reporter: i think she has an introduction here. do you want to listen in. martha: sure. >> i know will continue in the tradition of john quincy adams and christian herder as great secretaries from the commonwealth of massachusetts. although john learned more about diplomacy overseas and in the senate he'll be the first to tell you that massachusetts is a great teacher of diplomatic skills. whether it was negotiating his way to make the ballot as a long shot underdog in a five way

heavily contested state convention back in 1982 or the way he brought labor and management to the table, locked the parties in his senate office over a long weekend, brought in dunkin donuts and negotiated and end to the 92-day long teaches/nurses strike. if anyone wants to learn diplomacy come try massachusetts politics. bill: so the senator does very well, evidently. let's get a break. john kerry in a moment.

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bill: just keeping an eye on this for you. hillary clinton speaking now. she does the introduction for john ker raoefplt when he begi kerry. when he begins speaking we'll bring it to you.

martha: the pentagon set to announce a historic change to the u.s. military than that will happen this afternoon. they will lift the ban on women serving in combat. the move will open up many jobs in previously all-male units, including special ops and areas like that. right now women make up some 14% of the 1.4 million active service members in this country. let's talk about this with two great guests for in subject. we have kt mcfarland who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense under president reagan and a fox news national security accident. jack keane, former top chief, and a fox news military analyst. what do you think about this? >> i served for 37 1/2 years, i was always a strong advocate for women in the military. and by that i mean in nontraditional skills. and the fact of the matter is i draw a line here because this is

about direct ground combat. this is about infantry units. and this has been studied for years, martha. close to 30 years as a matter of fact, by our military, and also by allied military, and the conclusions are that women in direct infantry combat roles are less likely to survive and less likely to help others survive. and the rig ors of combat are there, and it's a question of being able to perform at that very high level. so i draw the line here, and i truly think it's a mistake. martha: kt what do you think? >> i think just the opposite. the problem with modern warfare is there is no front line. we think of the old fashioned world war i world war ii keep women behind and put the men in the front line where they can take the injuries. the thing is in this time everywhere is the front line.

you can be anywhere and get him. it frees up professional opportunities tore women to be in the kind of roles that allow them to advance. >> kt, listen, there is a big difference between in harm's way, which is what you described, women are ambushed as part of units, they certainly receive mortars, they have iad attacks. being in a direct combat operation day in and day out is very different being in harm's way. and our women have performed admiral plea for being in harm's way. they've been deck traited for heroism. but direct come path every single day is very different than you're describing. martha: years ago women weren't allowed at west point or annapolis, there was a big outcry for that. they weren't able to hand epl the training, they weren't able to leave the playing field equal. hasn't that worked out real well. >> absolutely. i was an advocate for that and

bringing them into the nontraditional skill sets we have, flying planes, et cetera. direct combat is about strength and unit cohesion. where in the world has a military done this successfully. some have tried it and they have all walked it back. >> i think if you look at modern warfare it's not just who is the toughest, strongest guy in the battlefield. we have much morey lines on high technology. my daughter every morning had to do the five-mile return, i said gee don't boys have different requirements than girls. she rolled her eyes at me and said, they don't say to you, okay. girls you can stop now. it's not just a matter of brute strength. in many cases women are better snipers than men are. they have better marine helicopter rates than men do. i think it's about time to acknowledge the fact that women are already in these roles. martha: let me ask you both this. how do you think it would work? after this ban is lifted, would

women request, you know what they say, we have a volunteer force, none of these women or men for that matter -- they are all there on their own volition. how do you think it would work? how would they say, you're going to go to the front lines, or would a woman say, i want to be there, i feel i have the skills. the general first. >> first and foremost it's going to work by volunteerism, an officer who wants to be in the infantry and an enlisted soldier who wants to be in the infantry. they are not going to mandate anybody to go into that without there being a volunteer to do it. what i do hope, i do hope we do not change the physical standards. and i'm skeptical about this. because we have done this in the past, right here in the united states military. to accommodate the difference in body make up for women and the strength for women. and i'm confident that the tests that are out there, the standards that we have are adequate to meet the task that

our infantry and special forces soldiers have to perform on the battlefield. i don't want to see them changed to accelerate the advancement of women into those units. martha: i wonder how many women there are? we saw a great piece that jennifer griffin did, an interview that she did, and the woman she interviewed, she was a kapt opinion, i don't remember her last tphaeupbl fortunately, but she was a captain. she said i'm not able to do some of the stuff that the men are able to do in training. she was -- she looked like a very tough, strong, capable woman but she was very honest about the fact that she felt that she couldn't do some of the training that the men could do. what do you think about that kt? i don't think anybody is suggesting we dumb it down for women and say okay girls you get to stop. if any individual, male, female can't meet the minimum requirement that you've got to meet for that specialty well then it's a different story. but why should you close that door to women if they are capable of doing the job? martha: very interesting, very interesting take from you both. thank you so much. general keane, kt, interesting

toeupbg. we'll see what happens with awful this. bill: since the war began, the war on terror that is women have had prominent roles already, whether it's helicopters or airplanes or driving tanks. you remember governor mcdonald in virginia, part of his campaign was that my daughter drove a tank in iraq. what a proud papa to say that. martha: women lost their lives fighting shr-fp on th very much on the front lines because war has changed. those injuries happen in many places not just at the front lines. bill: congress has a compromise, a deal with the debt ceiling, it comes with a big catch, though. does that mean there is hope for a long-term solution, america? or is this going to backfire in a big way? martha: scientists say that these new pictures of the sun shed light on a long-standing mystery. what that is?

bill: 32 minutes later here is your moment, america. we do believe senator kerry will begin his opening remarks to his colleagues on the senate committee here. here we go. >> members of the committee,

thank you very, very much. i'm in awe of the wonderful comments that were just made, and i appreciate them, and i'll say a little bit more about them. before i begin i would like to have the privilege of just introducing very quickly, i think most of you know my wonderful wife, theresa who has been part of in great journey for a longtime. my brother cam who is serving over in the commerce department as counsel there and i trust they know he's here and have tkeufpb him tim given him time off. my daughter, vanessa and her husband brian, both of whom are working as physicians at mass general in boston. and alexandra who is not here and three step-sons who are likewise spread around the world. we are thinking about them as we embark on this wonderful journey. for 29 years i've sat up on the dios where you are all and looked down at the witnesses and

wonder what they are thinking sometimes as we question them. i don't want you to affect your opening questions but let me say i've never seen a more distinguished or better looking group of public officials in my life. [laughter] >> suddenly i am feeling a lot of sympathy for the folks who sit down here. i want you to know that a couple of nights ago i was watching "godfather 2". so be for warned if someone suddenly shows up with my long-lost brother back in the audience, all bets are off, folks. and i am enormously grateful for the generous comments of the share and the ranks member, thank you very, very much. thank you also for your tremendous cooperation over the course of the last years, and providing that you get me out of here quickly i will be able to congratulate you more fully when you officially assume your

responsibilities. i will tell all of you on this committee, the new members, particularly, that i have enjoyed sharing this committee and working with you as much as anything that i have done or been privileged to do in all of my career. i think this is one ever the greaone of the great committees of the united states senate. and it's the only major committee that i have served on since day one when i arrived in the senate in 1985. as you know the committee carries special consequential responsibilities with respect to the security of our nation. and i think each and every one of you for the serious consideration that you give and have given to the challenging i shal issues and for the remarkable cooperation i've had as chairman of the committee.

if confirmed i look forward to working particularly closely with awful you as we tackle some of the toughest issues and challenges that i have seen in the entire time i've served on this committee. and i particularly welcome the new members in that regard. i'm very grateful to president obama for nominating me and entrusting me with this important responsibility, and i am particularly grateful to secretary clinton, senator mccain, and senator warren for their introductions of me just now. i will not take it personally that this may be the one item in washington that seems to sue night democrats and republicans to get me out of the senate quickly. [laughter] >> secretary clinton, particularly, has served above and beyond the call of duty. i think everybody on this committee would agree. her service has been superb and

we all thank her for a job well done, for her tireless efforts on behalf of our nation. she has set a very high mark for the stewardship of the state department and her commitment to country. and i can pledge to you that with the consent of the senate i will do everything in my power, summon every energy and all of my focus to build on her record and on the president's vision. senator mccain, as i mentioned, is a long-time friend. we met here in the senate coming from very different political positions and perspectives, but, you know, we found common ground. i'll never forget standing with him in hanoi, in the cell, in the hanoi hilton in which he spent a number of years of his life, just the two of us, listening to him talk about that experience. i will always be great full for his partnership in helping to

make real peace with vietnam by stabbing the most significant process in the history of our country, or of any country, for the accounting of missing and dead in any war, and then for working to lift the embargo and ultimately normalize relations with an old enemy. john had every reason to hate but he didn't. and instead we were able to help heal deep wounds and end the war that had divided too many people for much too long. as we talk about war and peace and foreign policy i want all of us to keep in our minds, as i think we do, the extraordinary men and women in uniform who are on the front lines even as we meet here today. the troops at war who help protect america. i can pledge to you that as a veteran of war i will always carry the consequences of our decisions in my mind and be

grateful that we have such extraordinary people to back us up. i also thank my new colleague senator warren for her generous comments. she is a long-time fierce fighter for what is just and fair, and if they are testimony has an affect today and helps win votes for my confirmation she will become the senior senator of our state in a record view legislative days. i spent 29 years. [laughter] >> it's humbling to be here before you in this new role as president obama's nominee for secretary of state. but my approach to this role, if confirmed, is also deeply informed by the 28-plus years that i have been privileged to spend in the senate. that percent specht tiff will remain with me if confirmed as secretary. and i'm already excited by the many ways that we can work together, and in which we must

work together in order to advance america's security interests in a complicated and ever more dangerous world. i would add that i'm particularly aware that in many ways the greatest challenge to america's foreign policy will be in your hands, not mine, because while it's often said that we can't be strong at home if we're not strong in the world, in these days of fiscal crisis, and as a recovering member of the super committee, i am especially cognizant of the fact that we can't be strong in the world unless we're strong at home. and the first priority of business, which will affect my credibility as a diplomat, and our credibility as a nation, as we work to help other countries create order, the first priority will be that america at last puts its own fiscal house in

order. i really can't emphasize to you enough how imperative this is. people all over the world are looking to the united states for leadership. we are known as the indispensable nation for good reason. no nation has more opportunity to advance the cause of democracy, no nation is has committed to the cause of human rights as we are. but to protect our nation and make good on our promises, as well as to live up to our ideals and meet the crisis of this moment it is urgent that we show people in the rest of the world that we can get our business done in an effective and timely way. it is difficult enough to solve some of the problems that we face, but i will tell you, it becomes impossible, or near impossible if we ourselves replace our credibility and leverage with gridlock and dysfunction. i've heard it in my trips, and

secretary clinton has heard it in her trips, and any of you who travel will begin to hear questions about whether or not the united states can or will deliver. moreover, more than ever foreign policy is economic policy. the world is competing for resources, and global markets. every day that goes by where america is uncertain about engaging in that arena, or unwilling to put our best foot forward and win, unwilling to demonstrate our resolve to lead, is a day in which we weaken our nation itself. my plea is that we can summon across party lines, without partisan di diversion diversions an economic that. it's hard to tell the head der ship of the number of countries

that they have to deal with the imf, balance their budget, create economic order where there is none, if we don't provide it for ourselves. it's also imperative that in implementing president obama's vision for the world as he ends more than a decade of war, that we join together to augment our message to the world. president obama, and every one of us here knows that american foreign policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone. we cannot allow the extraordinary good that we do to save and change lives to be eclipsed entirely by the role that we have had to play since september 11th, a role that was thrust upon us. american foreign policy is also defined by food security, energy security, humanitarian assistance, the fight against disease, and the push for

development, as much as it is by any single counterterrorism initiative. and it must be. it is defined by leadership on life threatening issues like climate change, or fighting to lift up millions of lives by promoting freedom and democracy from africa, to the americas, or speaking out for the prisoners of gulags in north korea, and millions of refugees of misplaced humans and victims of human trafficking. america gives up to her values when we give voice to the voice less. i share with the president the conviction that it is equally imperative that we insert a new role in the world of increasing, failed and failing states. burgeoning populations of young people, hungry for jobs,

opportunity, individual rights, and freedom are rebelling against years of disinch franchisement and humiliation. a fruit surrender in tunis ia wanted dignity and respect e. wapblgted to sepl his fruit without corruption and abuse, has owe what led him to selfimmulate. the youth of tahrir square represented a generational thi thirst for unity, not a religious movement. the developed world can do more to meet the challenge and responsibility of these aspirations with the help of all the members of this committee i am determined to help president obama meet this moment. it is vital for our nation what we do so. the world is well aware that we face a number of immediate,

dangerous challenges. particularly in the middle east and south central asia. given our extraordinary interest in nonproliferation we must resolve the question sroupbg surrounding iran's nuclear program. the president has made it definitive. we will do what we must do to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. and i repeat here today, our policy is not containment, it is prevention, and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance. this administration, working with congress, and an unprecedented national coalition has put into place crippling sanctions on iran. mr. chairman you have been a leader in that effort and i know will continue to be. president obama has stated again and again, and i want to emphasize this. he and i prefer a diplomatic

resolution to this challenge, and i will work to give diplomacy every effort to succeed, but no one should mistake our resolve to reduce the nuclear threat. nearly 42 years ago chairman full bright gave me the opportunity to testify before this committee during a difficult and divided time for our country. today i can't help but recognize that the world itself, then, was in many ways simpler, dived as it was along bi-polar, cold war antagonisms. today's world is more complicated than anything we have experienced, from theee more generals of china, to the arab awakening, linked, economic, health, demographic issue. poverty. refugees, conflict on going in

afghanistan. entire populations and faiths struggling with the demand of madernity, and the accelerating pace of technological innovation invading all of that shifting power from nation states to individuals. with the end of the cold war henry kissinger pointed out in his superb book on diplomacy, he said none of the most important countries which must build a new world old have had any experience with the multi-state system that is emerging. never before has a new world order had to be assembled from so many different perceptions, or on so global a scale, nor has any previous order had to combine the attributes ever the historic balance of power system with global democratic opinion and the exploding technology of the contemporary period. that was written in 1994, and it may be even more relevant

today. so this really is a time for american leadership, a time for fresh thinking, a time to cross party lines and dived and come together in the interests of our nation. a time to find ways to work together to maximize the impact of all of america's resources, including the great resource of this committee and of the united states senate. if i'm confirmed one of the first things that i intend to do is sit down with senator menendez and senator corker and invite all the members of this committee to come together, hopefully at a time where there is no interruption and we can actually rile dig i tullahoma lee really dig in and talk, and talk about how we can have constructive dialogue and a collegial relationship. even with the unique oversight

role that the committee place the challenges in the world are so enormous that we would do our country a disservice if we didn't identify ways we could confront each other to confront unique challenges globe balance leave. if you confirm me i will take office proud that the senate is in my blood, but equally proud that so too is the foreign service. my father's work under presidents both democrat and republican took me and my siblings around the world for a personal journey that brought home the sacrifices and the commitment the men and women of the foreign service make every day on behalf of america. i wish every one in the country could see and understand firsthand the devotion, loyalty, amazingly hard and often dangerous work that the diplomats on the front lines do for our nation.

theirs is a service which hearns our country an enormous return on investments. i will be proud and honored to represent them and eup i will work hard so the story is told home and abroad. everyone on this committee knows well that the road ahead is tough, but i believe just as deeply that global leadership is a strategic imperative for america, it is not a favor that we do for other coun countries. it amplifies our voice, it extends our reach. it is the key to jobs, the fulcrum of our influence and it matters, it really matters to the daily lives of americans. the matters that we get this moment right for america, and it matters that we get it right for the world. one discussion that i particularly look forward to beginning with you, my colleagues, and with our country, is about the commitment

that we make in our foreign affairs budget. less than 1% of the entire budget of government at a time that the world is getting smaller, that our economy depend on its relationship with every other country in the world, that we nice a more global market than any time in our history, so not just in my briefings at the state department but in my conversations with business leaders n my trips to crisis areas, to war zones, to refugee camps, and in some of the poorest countries on earth i have been reminded of the importance of the work that our state department does to protect and advance america's interests, and do the job of diplomacy in a dangerous world, and particularly i think there is more that can be done to advance our economic capacity and interests. in this debate and in every endeavour i pledge to work very closely with this committee,

mr. chairman, and mr. ra*pblging member not just because it will be my responsibility, but because i will not be able to do this job effectively, nor will our country get what it needs to out of these initiatives without your involvement and your ideas going forward. so thank you, mr. chairman, and members of the committee. i know there is a lot of ground to cover. [chanting] [yelling] [chanting] martha: she waited until the very end there to make herself heard. a protester being taken out in the back of the room as john kerry finishes his opening statement and confirmation hearings for the office of secretary of state. he talked about p economic patriotism and spent a lot of time talking about how he believes the united states needs to be economically secure at home in order to be secure in the global picture as well. john kerry in what is expected

to be a fairly smooth, easy going confirmation hearing gets underway. bill: a new debt deal does a debt deal to get it in order, it gives them four months, and it requires lawmakers in the house and the senate now to pass a budget or have their paychecks withheld. kim griffin has been very patient. he sits on the house and ways and means committee. how are you doing, sir, good morning to you. >> i'm doing great. bill: you vote ned favor, tell us why? >> well, i think it is critical that we ask the senate and push the senate, get them to agree to pass a budge we have passed budgets two years in a row. a budget lays out your priorities and your plan for getting our house in fiscal order, and the senate has simply sat on the sidelines and criticized our budget, they

haven't put anything in writing, and we believe that you're in the serious about getting our fiscal house in order if you're not willing to put pen to paper analyst what your expenditures are going to be and tell us where the revenue is going to come from. and i think once the senate does this we will see that their plan is to cut almost no spending and to raise taxes to make up the trillion dollar deficit that we have yearly. and that means everybody is going to be the target of senate tax inch treesess. bill: you wrote a letter to the president you said you want the cold, hard facts for his view of the debt. do you expect that? >> no, unfortunately. i think i have an obligation to my constituents to demand it.

he's a great communicator, he does a great job delivering a speech and getting a message out, and i think it would be helpful during the state of the union if he would just be straight up with people and just say, look, this trillion dollar deficit that we've had every year during his administration is historic, no one else has ever done that. and he should also be straight up about the coming bankruptcy of medicare. we want to reform it to save it. i haven't seen a plan from the president that does anything to save medicare. bill: some republicans are saying don't hold our breath on all that. we'll find out in tpheb when the state ofebruary when the state of the union address gets underway. thank you for your patience. the best for your father, we hope the best for him as well. tim griffin the republican from arkansas. the most patient man we have today. martha: bitter cold outside. we'll take a look at the

temperatures when we come back. twins. i didn't see them coming.

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